Overview

Embark on a rewarding gardening journey with our premium yacon propagation crown cutting. This organic tuber (Smallanthus sonchifolius), often referred to as the Peruvian ground apple, Bolivian sunroot, or sweet-root, allows you to cultivate your own supply of this unique and delicious root vegetable. Yacon is celebrated for its sweet, juicy tubers that offer a delightful crunch, reminiscent of nashi pear. Beyond its culinary appeal, the yacon plant itself adds an attractive, lush green presence to any garden, complete with charming daisy-like flowers. These specific cuttings are designed for propagation, ensuring you can establish a thriving patch of yacon plants to enjoy for seasons to come. Discover the joy of growing and harvesting this versatile plant right from your backyard.

Our yacon propagation crown is carefully selected to provide the best start for your new plants. Each crown possesses the vital "eyes" necessary for successful sprouting, making it easy to grow your own. Whether you’re an experienced gardener or just beginning, cultivating yacon is a straightforward process that yields bountiful results. The plant’s adaptability and numerous uses, from fresh consumption to cooking and even as animal forage, make it an invaluable addition to a sustainable home garden. Prepare to be amazed by the delicious and healthy harvest these cuttings will produce.

Key Benefits

Growing your own yacon offers a multitude of benefits, both for your garden and your health. These easy-to-grow plants provide a unique and healthy food source, contributing to a diverse and productive garden. Embrace the advantages of cultivating this remarkable root vegetable.

• Delicious & Nutritious Harvest: Enjoy sweet, crunchy tubers that are low in calories and a good source of inulin, a prebiotic fiber beneficial for gut health. The flavor profile is often described as a cross between apple and pear, making it a refreshing treat.
• Versatile Culinary Uses: The edible tubers can be enjoyed raw in salads, cooked in various dishes, juiced, or even used in desserts. The young stems can also be cooked as a vegetable, offering more culinary options from a single plant. Grow your own yacon plant for fresh ingredients.
• Easy to Grow: Yacon is a robust plant that thrives with minimal fuss, making it suitable for gardeners of all experience levels. These yacon propagation crown cuttings are designed for straightforward planting and growth.
• Attractive Garden Addition: With its large, lush leaves and small daisy-like flowers, the yacon plant is not only productive but also adds an ornamental touch to your garden or edible landscape.
• Sustainable & Productive: A single plant can yield a significant harvest, providing ample tubers for your family and potentially even your neighbors. It’s an excellent choice for those looking to enhance their food self-sufficiency.
• Potential Animal Forage: Beyond human consumption, yacon leaves have a high protein content and can be used as forage for animals, and the tubers are also a suitable feed for ruminants.

Plant Care & Growing Tips

To successfully grow yacon plant from your propagation crown, understanding its basic care requirements is key. Yacon thrives in temperate climates and prefers a sunny location with well-draining, fertile soil. Plant your crowns in spring after the last frost, ensuring each piece has at least two "eyes" for optimal sprouting. Space them approximately 2-3 feet apart to allow for mature plant growth. Regular watering is important, especially during dry spells, to keep the soil consistently moist but not waterlogged. Avoid excessive nitrogen fertilization, which can promote leaf growth at the expense of tuber development.

Yacon plants are relatively low maintenance once established. They can reach heights of 4-6 feet, so consider their mature size when choosing a planting location. In colder zones, the tubers can be dug up before the first hard frost and stored in a cool, dark, and slightly humid place over winter, similar to dahlias, then replanted the following spring. This ensures you can continue to grow yacon plant year after year. Protect young plants from strong winds if they are in an exposed area. The generous foliage can provide some shade for other heat-sensitive plants during the hottest parts of the summer.

Size & Details

This offering includes one yacon propagation crown cutting, ready for planting. Each cutting is carefully selected to ensure viability, typically featuring multiple growth "eyes" from which new shoots will emerge. When mature, yacon plants can grow to an impressive height of 4-6 feet (approximately 1.2-1.8 meters) and can spread 2-3 feet wide, forming a bushy, attractive presence in the garden. The edible tubers, known as the peruvian ground apple, vary in size, commonly weighing around 300g (0.66 lbs) but capable of reaching up to 2 kg (4.4 lbs) under ideal growing conditions.

These propagation crowns are shipped dormant and are best planted in spring. Expect visible growth within a few weeks of planting, with the plant reaching maturity and producing harvestable tubers by late fall, typically 7-9 months after planting. The yield per plant can be substantial, providing a generous harvest of these unique and healthy roots. Experience the satisfaction of cultivating your own fresh organic yacon tubers.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Q: How big does a yacon plant get? A: A mature yacon plant typically grows to a height of 4-6 feet (1.2-1.8 meters) and can spread 2-3 feet wide, forming a substantial bush in your garden.
• Q: Is this an indoor or outdoor plant? A: Yacon is primarily an outdoor plant, thriving in garden beds. In regions with cold winters, the tubers are typically dug up and stored indoors for replanting the following spring.
• Q: How much sunlight does a yacon plant need? A: Yacon prefers full sun to partial shade, ideally receiving at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight per day for optimal tuber development.
• Q: Is this plant easy to care for? A: Yes, yacon is considered relatively easy to care for, making it suitable for gardeners of all experience levels. It requires consistent moisture and a sunny location.
• Q: What condition will the yacon propagation crown arrive in? A: Your yacon propagation crown will arrive as a dormant cutting with visible "eyes," ready for planting. It will be carefully packaged to ensure its health during transit.
• Q: Can I use peruvian ground apple in cooking? A: Absolutely! The tubers are incredibly versatile and can be eaten raw, cooked, juiced, or incorporated into various culinary creations, from salads to desserts.
• Q: When is the best time to plant yacon? A: The best time to plant yacon is in the spring, after all danger of frost has passed and the soil has begun to warm up.
• Q: What are the main benefits of growing yacon? A: Beyond its unique sweet and crunchy taste, yacon is low in calories, rich in inulin (a prebiotic), and adds an attractive, productive element to your garden. It’s a healthy and sustainable crop.
• Q: How do I store yacon tubers over winter? A: In colder climates, dig up the tubers before the first hard frost, allow them to air dry for a day, then store them in a cool, dark, and slightly humid place, such as a basement, until spring.
• Q: What is the scientific name for yacon? A: The scientific name for yacon is Smallanthus sonchifolius.